Afram Plains lacks veterinary staff

The Kwahu Afram Plains North and South District Agricultural Units have only five veterinary staff to ensure animal welfare and public health in the districts.

The two districts combined have just one veterinary doctor and four technical officers, a situation which places a huge pressure on them.

The Ghana News Agency (GNA)-STAR Ghana Media Auditing and Tracking of Development Project team discovered this when it visited the districts recently.

According to Mr Tweneboa Kofi Amoako, the Agriculture Officer in charge of the two districts, the situation is very worrying and greatly affects veterinary extension services in the area.

He said the ideal situation is for both districts to have a doctor and four technical officers each.

Mr Amoako said, to manage the challenge, his outfit formed a Community Livestock Workers’ Association (CLWA) where they trained some community members to provide communal livestock extension services.

“But now membership of the Association is dwindling because we are unable to support their activities after the Afram Plains District Agricultural Development Project (AFDADP) folded up,” he said.

Mr Amoako was quick to add that, his outfit was still working assiduously to pool resources together to revive and maintain the communal livestock extension services.

He however said, if more veterinary officers are posted to the area, it would help enhance livestock extension services in the Afram Plains and also ensure the health of the people there.